To provide a continuity of study and action between sessions, interim joint committees are formed from the standing committees of both houses. For instance, the Education Committee of the Senate and the Education Committee of the House become the Interim Joint Committee on Education after the regular session.

Interim committees, besides discussing and studying issues in-depth, draft and approve bills for prefiling for the next regular session. This enables bills to be introduced at the beginning of the session and standing committees to become active immediately. All interim committees, which are actually subcommittees of the Legislative Research Commission (LRC), are open to the public and the press so the people have an opportunity to express views on areas the proposed legislation will affect.[1][2]

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Function

The Economic Development and Tourism Committee studies "matters pertaining to commerce, industry, and economic and industrial development not specifically assigned to another committee; economic development planning; international trade and investment; investment companies and industrial loan corporations as they relate to economic and industrial development; recruitment of business and industry; small-business matters relative to economic and industrial development; financing of business and industrial development; business regulatory matters, including the Uniform Commercial Code, relative to economic and industrial development; worker training; technology development and application; chambers of commerce; convention centers and publicly owned exhibition and parking facilities; arts and arts exhibition facilities; state, interstate, and national parks and historic sites; and travel promotion and advertising."[3]

Membership

2015 legislative session

The following table describes committee membership for the 2015 legislative session.